I Learned It By Watching You

I'm thinking of using this humorously-remembered phrase from the 80's on a new product at chunkyrhino. Ironically enough, Shawn just sent me here to watch the "Children See Children Do" video on YouTube. Now that quote isn't quite as funny, especially as I'm watching Ryan yell and scream at Jax, just like I do. Or when I reflect on how the childcare people at the Y commented last week on what a bully Jax is becoming, and then I see him, Ryan and Shawn roughhousing to the point that someone gets hurt.

We used to do that all the time, and while it may be all in innocent fun, someone does always get hurt, and the effects tend to last longer than you'd think. In my case, I still feel the knee-jerk urge to hit, even after all the therapy I've been through. I'm not blaming anyone, I had amazing parents, but when I think about the things I do and when I hear myself say that I don't want them to turn out like me, I have to stop myself and think, "wouldn't it just be easier all around if I made ME better, so they could learn to be like ME without it being such a bad thing?"

If only the desire were the hard part. I struggle with dealing with my "makeover" every time they start yelling or kicking or screaming, and then I boil up and start yelling and I see that my best intentions are just that -- intentions -- unless I work harder to make them reality.

If our kids aren't worth working harder for, what is?

P.S. I still kinda think the T-shirt quote is funny.